Identity
by quintessentialy
Summary: Chat Noir adored her – would he still adore her when she wasn't Ladybug and she was just Marinette?
Marinette pressed her nose against the glass of her bedroom window, huffing against it. Her hot breath against the frost glass gave her a surface to draw on – she drew a quick smiley face, grew bored, and turned away. It was early in the morning (far, far earlier than she ever even _thought_ she would be able to wake up), and the two empty cups of coffee stacked up on her desk didn't seem to be enough. She thought about going downstairs to get a third but rejected the idea, instead turning to her sketch book. She'd been working on a design as a sort of jacket for her Ladybug attire, and Tikki seemed to enjoy the idea, though the practicality of it all was a bit off. She'd have to transform, pull the jacket out of a bag, and put it on – and that would take an extra ten seconds, which she almost never had after she transformed. Tikki nuzzled against her hair and Marinette yawned, setting the sketchbook on her lap and cupping her hands in front of her. Tikki flew into them, seeking the warmth of her human skin.

"Has Alya texted yet?" Tikki asked, and Marinette shook her head with a sigh. "I'm sure she will soon! The sun is rising in about an hour."

"Even if she doesn't text, I'm going to go anyways. Maybe even as Ladybug, to get a better view." Marinette smiled, checking her phone. The night before, Alya and Marinette had made plans to walk to some park a few blocks away to catch a great view of the sunrise over Paris – but, as Marinette had feared, it seemed that Alya had overslept and the trip was going to be made by herself.

Marinette had come to enjoy some of her time alone. Alya had become busy with an art project that Marinette sometimes worked on; Alya called it her 'Master Work' and would only let Marinette help with little parts of it, like mixing paints or cleaning brushes, which Marinette only did because she loved Alya and wanted to spend time with her – other than those brief moments where they were able to work together and chat after school or on the weekends, Marinette had spent quite a bit of time alone. Working on sketches, designing, playing video games – she'd even taken up gardening and trying to grow a small tomato plant on the upstairs terrace (it kept sprouting and then dying, to her frustration).

Thirty minutes passed and Marinette snuck up to the terrace and transformed into Ladybug. With the help of her compact she climbed from building to building until she found herself sitting on the platform of the Eiffel Tower, legs dangling over the edge. She pulled out her phone to take a few pictures of the sunrise and then sighed, letting herself relax and lean against the freezing metal of the Tower.

"Ladybug?" She heard an all-too-familiar voice ask. She glanced behind her and saw Chat Noir. She smiled and waved at him kindly. "What are you doing up so early?"

"Enjoying the sunrise. What are _you_ doing up so early, Chat? Too restless?"

"Always. And I wanted to see the sunrise." Chat grinned, sitting down next to her – usually, she'd hate him sitting so close, but today she could feel a bit of warmth coming from his own suit and flooding into hers, and she had to take advantage of it.

"Isn't it beautiful?" She asked, "Paris is stunning."

"Not as beautiful as you, my lady. But yes, Paris is stunning. We are quite lucky to live here. You know what they say about Paris?" He asked, gazing at her. She turned her head and met his gaze.

His green eyes always seemed so familiar – they intimidated her in the slightest, made her feel just the tiniest bit uncomfortable. They reminded her of someone else's eyes – "What do they say about Paris?" She asked.

"I heard that Paris is the one city in the world that is impossible to not fall in love with. Or in, if you catch my drift." He scooted closer to her, somehow managing to snake his arm around her waist. She let him have his way for just a moment before she pushed him off playfully, rolling her eyes.

"Chat, you are such a dork." Ladybug mumbled, and Chat laughed.

"Don't try to tell me you don't love me."

"I don't love you." She replied, turning toward him. He gasped, feigning pain as he clutched his chest where his heart was.

"My _lady!_ How terribly rude of you to tell me a lie like that!" He exclaimed, and she laughed.

"Chat, you are such a Drama King. I bet everyone in your class thinks you are _ridiculous_."

"Oh, you wouldn't believe how different I act without the mask."

Ladybug was silent for a moment before nodding, "Same here."

"Oh? And what are you like without the mask, if I may ask?" He rhymed, and she groaned slightly. "I couldn't resist."

"I'm self-conscious." She muttered, "Quieter. I get nervous easily and I'm just not as self-reliant as I am when I'm in costume. When people don't know who I am, it makes it easier to – to be me. If that makes any sense."

"Woah, Ladybug. That's the most serious I've seen you in a really long time. Are you alright?" Chat asked, concerned. Ladybug met his gaze and nodded her head quickly, smiling at him.

"Chat, I'm completely fine. I've just been – I don't want to say lonely, but I've been more _alone_ lately. I'm more in touch with my feelings – oh, god. Now I'm turning into a big mushy mess. I'm stopping this conversation right now." She stated, and Chat reached for her hand, covering it with both of his.

"You know you can talk to me, Ladybug. I know exactly how you feel. I don't really have a ton of friends."

"You? Not having a ton of friends? Chat, that seems impossible. You're – at least _charming_ , even if your charms don't work on me." Ladybug didn't jerk her hand away or tease him. He seemed to be sincere – more sincere than she'd ever seen him. She thought for a moment that maybe them meeting on the Eiffel Tower and watching the sunrise together was more intimate than she was comfortable with – even if it was all by coincidence.

"I'm popular, I guess, but not really because of my personality or anything. The mask makes me feel like I can be myself, too. I don't have to act calm, cool, and collected all the time – I can just be myself! With jokes and puns and flirting with you, of course." Chat grinned, leaning towards Ladybug, "I'm not sure I'd be able to stand your beauty if you knew who I really was."

"Chat, if we knew each other in real life, I think we'd be best friends."

"Best friends? More like soulmates!" He cried out enthusiastically, and she scoffed at his incessant flirts. "I think we know each other in real life."

"Oh?" Ladybug raised her eyebrows, "I doubt it."

"We've probably passed each other on the street once or twice."

"I'm sure we have. Paris is full of people. But I'm sure we don't _know_ each other – after all, I'm a couple years older than you."

"Sometimes I think you're lying when you say that." Chat retorted, and Marinette sighed, "Why can't we just tell each other who we are? Here?"

"Here? Now? No way, Chat. No way, not _ever_. It would mess everything up."

"How would it mess everything up?" He asked, and she felt her throat drop into her stomach. It was like she was on a roller coaster that kept going down, down, down – every bad possibility flooded into her mind at once. Chat would think she was lame or weird and how would she talk to him when sometimes his green eyes made her go weak in the knees? He already looked a bit like Adrien with the mask on, but what if he looked even more like him with the mask off? She wouldn't be able to control herself, and having self-control while being Ladybug was the thing she loved most about the job. The confidence and assurance she got from fighting evil and being the city's hero would dissolve once anyone knew her identity, she was sure of it. Chat Noir adored her – would he still adore her when she wasn't Ladybug and she was just Marinette?

"Chat, I like how we are now. I don't want to know who you are without the mask and I don't want you to know who I am without the mask." Ladybug replied, standing up and pulling her compact out of her belt, "I think I need to go –"

"My lady, you don't need to go anywhere. We can talk about this. I would adore you with or without the mask, I am sure of it." He insisted, standing up and reaching for her, "Please –"

"I can't take that risk." She replied, turning toward him, "I'll talk to you later."

"Ladybug!"

She was already speeding away, disappearing over the edges of buildings. Chat wrapped his arms around himself and sighed. Without her, he felt much colder.


End file.
